Orion language
Orion language referred to a number of languages used by the Orion civilizations of the Alpha and Beta Quadrants. Variants The major divisions of the primary Orion language were High Orion and Low Orion. High Orion was used by the upper class and in diplomacy, negotiation and on formal occasions. High Orion was also used among Ruddy Orions as their conversational day to day language to further distinguish themselves from the Green and Gray Orions as the dominant upper class. Low Orion was used in passing in everyday life, spoken by lower classes, primarily by Greens and Grays, but used informally by all. While similar and with the same words, pronunciations were different. High Orion often sounded musical and lyrical, with flowery terms, precise rules for grammar and careful shades of meaning. Low Orion, however, had more nasal and exhaled language sounds, broader vowels and was generally much simpler and cruder. Both were trickier than they appeared. ( ) In the Orion language itself, this was called Kolari. Some Orions chose to speak older and more antiquated or poetic forms such as High Kolari or Imperial Kolari, primarily to score social points or confuse non-speakers. In any language, they enjoyed ornate speech and veiled insults. ( ) The Orion language was full of double meanings, ambiguities, intentionally vague words and interpretations that depended on context. There were no single words for 'yes' or 'no', but were instead qualified as, for example, 'yes, if...' and 'no, but...'. It was said to be an excellent debating language, though with no direct answers. It was well-suited for concealing motive and meaning. It was also a good swearing language. Low Orion had more base words and vile epithets, but High Orion had a sophisticated cursing case that could be used to deliver delicate and elaborate insults in ambiguous terms. These were sometimes in verse, and counted as works of art, but were rarely heard by non-Orions. In general, Orions preferred not to use their language around others, as it could confuse aliens. Instead, they spoke the alien language to be polite and understand the other's way of thinking. ( ) There was a 'backcountry' dialect that is spoken by provincial commoners. ( ) Trader's Tongue was a variation used in business. Related to this was the written language, Trader's Script, as well as Trader's Measure. ( }}) Another variation was Yrevish. Ambassador Spock felt that it was important to have an interpreter fluent in Orion Yrevish in the Federation delegation to PojjanPiraKot. ( |Red Sector}}) A common Orion language was called Orion Prime. In the Kelvin timeline, Cadet spoke to Cadet in it. ( }}) Orion language tended to have a guttural, sibilant quality (this may be specific to reptilian Orions). In the Priam IV test at Starfleet Academy, Cadet Tasha Yar attempted to operate a computer on an Orion boat, but didn't recognize the Orion language. When the computer issued a vocal query, she reacted with the common Human exclamation "ssh", which matched one of the computer's Orion language voice commands. This set off an alarm, as the Orion signal for danger was apparently to hiss like a snake. ( ) Interpreters and speakers Due to the large number of Starfleet encounters with Orions beginning in the 22nd century, many members of Starfleet were schooled in spoken Orion. Notable personnel with instruction in this language included Nyota Uhura, James T. Kirk, Wanda Worrenstill, Marvin Wanglestien, Kristine Reardon, Stoan, Jack Thompson and C'Raal. By the 24th century, Orion language was a second year elective course at Starfleet Academy. ( ) Klingons also learned Orion to help in their dealings with that civilization. Klingon Empire personnel with instruction in this language included [[Madra tai-Vurstic|Madra tai-Vurstic]], [[Kagga sutai-Formorax|Kagga sutai-Formorax]], [[Kepel zantai-Venonn|Kepel zantai-Venonn]] and [[K'Zinh sutai-Velai|K'Zinh sutai-Velai]]. ( ) Many other civilians and members of non-aligned powers were noted to have been instructed in Orion, such as Kellie Louise Baker of Baker's World; Bhind'rr of Lanroche VIII; free traders Thorapolis Creole, Wilton Tull and Linda Robbins, Dirk of Remfry, Jonny Farlo of Jonny's Retreat, Jonas Elley and Lee Willson of Mantiev; Captain Patch of the Dark Phoenix; Jean Carislon of Jemison; Q'Kuattr; Zeenne; Selene Trikaka and T'planna. ( ) Manager Friel of Wagner Trading Post was prone to swearing in Orion, with passable pronunciation. She did so once in the 2260s upon hearing that a merchant starship convoy had been attacked by Klingons. ( ) Hikaru Sulu also knew some Orion curses, and used them when experiencing difficulty piloting in 2270, testing the shuttlecraft. ( ) Glossary Coming from a range of sources, these terms may not all be from the same Orion language. ;bhar : a term or rank for a ship's lieutenant or executive officer ( ) ;caj : great family, clan (plural caju) ( ) ;cheltol : A term that discreetly translates as a 'capable male student'. ( }}) ;chuulak : Back country dialect term for a type of Orion public execution by slow torture to deter others. In an alternate timeline 25th century, Adajia recalled that a Consilium master was going to order mentally incompetent Thad Smith executed by chuulak for dereliction of service to the Consilium Institute. ( ) ;cluros : 'cold' or 'coolness'. Cluros is an Orion code of conduct. For example, to keep one's cluros is to keep one's cool. ( ) ;delbaj : 'lieutenant' ( ) ;dubi : 'slave'. This is a diminutive of dubyal, or 'contractor'. ( ) ;dubyal : 'contractor' (plural dubyaln) ( ) ;elt : a term or rank for a ship's captain or commander ( ) ;etadubran : 'contract-holders', 'the obligated'. These are slave owners and slave drivers. ( ) ;F'deraxt'la : A term for the Federation, pronounced as to rhyme with "Federation" in the Trader's Tongue, referring to a person born of three parents, all of whom were related. The adjective form of the noun was f'deraxt'l. ( }}) ;fesin : 'hutch'. A training house for the lodubyaln. ( ) ;flars : Word in Orion Trader's Tongue, apparently describing a quality of machismo. The pirate Krulmadden, convinced that there was fissionable material to be plundered on Talin IV, decided that he would take his ship there and "show our flars" to the Starfleet blockade assembled there. ( }}) ;ganzu : The term ganzu seems to translate to 'revenge society'. (plural is also ganzu) ( ) ;gisjacheh : Possibly a profanity. For example, "this gisjacheh drug" that caused an Orion pirate ship a great deal of misfortune. ( ) ;j'hordak : 'shadow', or less politely, 'hanger-on'. ( ) ;''-kar'' : 'House of -'. This suffix signified a mansion or estate, such as Keroskar, the 'House of Keros'. ( ) ;Klong : 'the Wall'. A term for the Klingons. ( ) ;kohl'ash : An Orion word which means something akin to 'retreat'. ( ) ;koledru venari : 'thieves' honour', the code of the Orion Syndicate ( ) ;korgasant : 'tentacled-mauler' The Korgasant is a predatory animal native to Daros IV. (plural korgasanti) ( ) ;lisk : 'associate' ( ) ;lodubyal : 'life-contractor'. These are entertainment slaves, particularly slave women that work as courtesans and sex slaves. (plural lodubyaln) ( ) ;lodubyal ot : executive or mistress of a group of lodubyaln ( ) ;magren : 'operator' ( ) ;morakos : 'shadow-killer' The Morakos is a predatory animal native to Daros IV. (plural morakoi) ( ) ;morl : 'crewman' ( ) ;muni : 'blends' ( ) ;Oromente Qualfn : 'Qualf Liberation Force' ( ) ;poden : cities-on-stilts ( ) ;pounla : underground cities (plural plounla; may be in error) ( ) ;rhadaman : 'arch-executive' (plural rhadamanen). These are business leaders and starship captains, including pirate captains. ( ) ;rhadaman anthus : 'prince of executives' ( ) ;shodar : 'chief' ( ) ;slethi : 'winged-torturer' The Slethi is a predatory animal native to Daros IV. (plural slethii) ( ) ;tabadi : 'matriarch' ( ) ;tahedri : 'patriarch' (also tahedrin) ( ) :The Orions: Book of Deep Knowledge makes ''tahedrin the singular and turns tahedri the plural. According to the pattern of pluralism established in it and The Orions: Book of Common Knowledge, where n'' is added to form the plural of various occupations (eg. ''dubyal/''dubyaln'', uta/''utan''), then tahedrin ought to be the plural form of tahedri. Following this, tabadin would likely be the plural of tabadi. ;Thakolarivaj : 'Great Orion (Kolari) Empire' ( ) ;Thana Kolari : Orion term that meant 'Extended Orion', where 'Orion' is called 'Kolari'. These words refer to the area of space occupied by the Orions, excluding the Rigel system. ( ) ;tiradosir : 'rapacious' ( ) ;uktas bo urndo : 'blasters and book-keepers'. An Orion sentiment referring to military and political control versus trade and economic forces. One must fall before the other, though it doesn't specify which. ( ) ;uta : 'master' (plural utan) ( ) ;vaj : 'empire' ( ) ;Vyun-pashan : a type of Orion suicide ( ) Other translations and examples The word 'stealing' in either the English language or Federation Standard was translated by the Orions into their term for 'getting paid'. ( }}) 'Discount goods' was the translation of the Orion word for things that did not work. ( ) There was no one word for 'spite' in the Orion language, and the concept of doing something for nothing was difficult to explain and for Orions to understand. However, they could easily conceive of it as a type of revenge and readily practiced it. ( ) "Shandaken, dgr'xt en. K'laxm f'dactla en str'ln axltr'dn. Pr'dyn dgreilt jarras'tla en axm b'rerr–" Uhura translated this message and said "He's telling them by Police Commander [[Shandaken]] to give up. He says he wants them to go back to Orion, where they can all be charged with high treason–" ( ) Loan Words After developing a love for the culture of Earth up to the 20th century, the Orions picked up some slang words of the Human languages, particularly from Russian and American. The Orion language was often mistaken by the unfamiliar for Rigellian, the language of the Rigellians. ( ) Connections category:orion culture category:languages